Odeen Ishmael exhorts need to learn Spanish
Guyana Mirror
May 28-9, 2004
Ambassador Odeen Ishmael spoke at the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry on May 19 on the pulpit of the Venezuelan Institute of Culture and cooperation in Guyana. The full text follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very delighted this morning to speak with you about the role of the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation which currently operates in Georgetown, Guyana. It is interesting to note that even before this Institute was established by the Venezuelan Embassy, cooperation activities in the area of culture had already been on-going. This was because the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown from since the 1960s had already realized the significance of cultural links, and from time to time groups of cultural performers visited Guyana, much to the appreciation of the people of our country.
As more and more Guyanese showed interest in learning about Venezuela - not only about the political and economic development - but also about the life style and the hopes and the aspirations of the Venezuelan people - the Venezuelan Government saw the need for the establishment of an institution to provide this information and to help Guyanese develop a full appreciation of the culture of their neighbours.
Guyanese have long been interested in the political, economic and social development of Venezuela. It is interesting for you to know that some Guyanese actually participated in the fight for Venezuela’s independence. You will recall that Bolivar’s army also included many British and Irish mercenaries who were veterans of the Napoleonic wars. These British and Irish recruits occasionally used Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, as their staging post for organizing their supplies. From there, they arranged with Guyanese boat owners to transport them up the Orinoco River where they joined up with the army of llaneros led by the José Antonio Páez, Bolivar’s able commander in the east. It was not unusual for some Guyanese, including some run-away African slaves, to escape across the border and, with the British and Irish recruits, join the Venezuelan independence forces in the Orinoco province.
This was nearly two hundred years ago, but that connection remains strong, despite political problems our two countries have experienced with each other on a number of occasions in the past. Let me now say a little about the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation. This Institute was established in Georgetown approximately twenty years ago, and currently approximately 150 students attend it on a part-time basis to learn Spanish as a second language. All the students are over 16 years old, since that is the minimum age requirement, and approximately 95 percent of them are Guyanese citizens from different social and economic backgrounds. The other 5 percent are foreign nationals who live in Guyana. Of special interest worthy of note is the fact that at the present time, there are two Guyanese teachers attached to the Institute and they both speak fluent Spanish with the Venezuelan accent.
Classes at the Institute are at three levels - basic, intermediate and advanced - and all tuition is free of cost. The entire programme of study lasts for two years at the end of which a certificate is awarded. At the end of that period, the student should be able to read, write and speak Venezuelan Spanish. An essential part of learning is the involvement of students in cultural activities. These include participation in Venezuelan skits, poems, songs, and dances, which form part of the end of term activities every six months. And to get a broad understanding and appreciation of Latin American culture, students are introduced to Venezuelan as well as Latin American writings and poetry from the intermediate level. In addition, workshops on Latin American dance are held from time to time. And in the summer school vacation, workshops on art and Spanish for children under 16 years of age are organized by the Institute. The Venezuelan Institute has also offered its premises as a venue for Guyanese artists wishing to exhibit their work, and from time to time, Guyanese artists have taken advantage of this offer. Clearly, the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation is playing a vital role in the educational development of the Guyanese society. As the Guyanese education system reorganizes itself to carry out widespread Spanish Language education of students in primary and secondary schools, the students trained by the Institute form a core group of teachers for this enterprise. In Guyana we are now adapting to the changing times and new situations. The changing times and situation demand that Guyanese should become versed in Spanish as a second language. As such, Guyana has to break away from traditionalism and carry out a countrywide program to teach students to speak Spanish. In this respect, the roles of radio, television and newspapers are pivotal in supplementing the work of the schools. Why is there an emphasis on Spanish? Probably of greatest importance is that it is necessary for us to make preparations for the expanded trade opportunities which will present themselves with the eventual establishment of hemispheric free trade. We are therefore starting our preparations to enable our people to communicate easily with the large Spanish-speaking population of this continent. This will eventually enable our business community to be able to negotiate trade and business deals easily with their Spanish counterparts. In international business and trade negotiations, as you will appreciate, trust is established when all parties can communicate in the same language. An argument can also be made to show that by understanding and speaking a foreign language, people develop a better understanding and appreciation of the culture associated with that language. This itself is very important in conducting bilateral relations. At the same time, our people will be better able to grasp very quickly how Latin Americans think about various issues. Remember, people think and develop ideas in the language they speak, and since we would eventually be speaking Spanish also, our thought processes will be linked closer to those of our Spanish-speaking neighbours who will be both our allies and economic competitors. We also learn from the heritage of other cultures, and language is possibly the most important vehicle for the transmission of such knowledge. All of this leads to better understanding between nations. Obviously, this brings about greater trust and respect between peoples and ultimately between governments. Negotiations become less onerous, and these can lead to closer political, economic and cultural alliances.
Certainly, the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation is helping Guyana to meet these lofty objectives. It is hoped that the Venezuela-Guyana Sub-Commission on Culture will soon activate its work which will eventually lead to further cooperation between our two countries. This will also add a new dimension in fostering even closer cultural relations which will enable our citizens to develop even greater understand and appreciation of their respective cultures, historical development, hopes and aspirations.
Thank you very much.